Kirkland, WA - The Northwest volleyball team defeats Oregon Tech, 3-1, in a dominating performance.
It was senior night, with Reece Denney and Savannah Hale being honored for their impressive careers at Northwest. Fifth-year seniors Allie Flynn and Azaria Johnson were also given honorable mentions, as they will also be stepping away from the Eagles next season.
The first set started with the Eagles jumping out to the early lead, 4-1, but the Owls responded with a lead of their own, 13-12. It was a back-and-forth set with each team exchanging point streaks, but the Eagles' defense stood its ground with timely digs and smart set-ups. It came down to the wire, but the Eagles took the first set, winning 25-23.
The Eagles started the second set on the right foot, going up 11-7, but the Owls jumped back to their feet and took the lead, 15-14. It would be neck and neck until the Owls hit 20 and took control of the set, winning 25-20. This set also was a milestone for Owls' Molly Grace, as she cemented a monumental 1,000 kills in her volleyball career at Oregon Tech.
Early in the third set, the Eagles took advantage of service and attack errors from the Owls. However, the Owls would respond in kind with an eight-point streak due to several attacking errors from the Eagles. The Eagles dug their talons in and came back with a five-point streak to end the set and get the win, 25-21.
The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair to start, but the Owls were able to pull away in the first half, going up 15-11. Playing aggressively all match long, the Eagles refocused their attack and pounded the ball to a 25-18 set win and to take the whole game.
The Eagles played hungry and tenacious in a game they needed to win to stay in the playoff race. The defense was the star of the show with Ellie Van Berkum and Aubree Dees both recording 16 digs and Denney not far behind with 13 digs. Kaitlyn Mickle took the reins of the offense with 19 kills, and Johnson stepped up with nine kills.
"Senior night always comes with raw emotion and potential distractions," said Head Coach Steven Bain. "But once the match started, both teams settled in and competed at a high level. From my view, it seemed like whichever team was winning first contacts was in control. Our ladies also showed great resolve in the third and fourth sets, coming back from big deficits and then making the plays when the match was on the line."
